Eats

Rudy’s is opening ANOTHER pizzeria in Greater Manchester – and giving away thousands of pizzas

They're set to open their fifth Greater Manchester restaurant this autumn.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 8th August 2022

The rapid expansion of Rudy’s is rolling on, with yet another Greater Manchester pizzeria set to open this year.

The hugely popular restaurant group started life in Ancoats in 2015 and helped to relaunch the neighbourhood as a foodie destination.

Since then they’ve expanded to Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, London, Sheffield and Warrington, with a fifth Greater Manchester location on the way this autumn.

Rudy’s will be opening a 90-cover restaurant in Didsbury in October, taking over the former Mad Giant food hall on Wilmslow Road.

The brand has previously revealed plans to take over the old Dawson’s music shop on Portland Street in the city centre too.

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Rudy’s is opening another Manchester restaurant. Credit: The Sheff
Rudy’s will open in Didsbury. Credit: Supplied

To celebrate its launch in Didsbury, it will give away thousands of its award-winning, Neapolitan-style pizzas.

The brand made a name for itself with its authentic recipes, using dough made freshly daily from Caputo 00 flour and the best ingredients imported from Naples.

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It means pizzas such as Marinara, Margherita and Calabrese made with San Marzano tomatoes grown on fields next to Mount Vesuvius, and Fior di Latte mozzarella.

Read more: Inside Ornella’s, the tiny Tameside pasta kitchen that’s getting everything right

Rudy’s pizzas are then blasted in an oven for just 60 seconds for a soft and light pizza.

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Martyn Williams, general manager of Rudy’s Didsbury, said: “We look forward to becoming part of the community in Didsbury. We will open our doors this Autumn and the team cannot wait to serve our authentic Neapolitan pizza in this lovely neighbourhood.”

To snap up a free pizza from Rudy’s in Didsbury, you can sign up at rudyspizza.co.uk/didsbury.

Featured image: Supplied

Eats

A tiny new train station pub is set to open at Manchester Oxford Road

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson The team behind Piccadilly Tap and Victoria Tap have applied to open a new pub at Manchester Oxford Road

A tiny craft beer pub is set to open at Manchester Oxford Road, making all those inevitable train cancellations a little sweeter.

The new boozer will come from the same team behind some of the UK’s best train station pubs, who already have bars at Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria.

A licensing application has now been submitted by Bloomsbury Leisure Holdings Limited to take over the former cycle hub at Manchester Oxford Road.

The small building is directly opposite the entrance to the busy train station on the southern side of the city centre.

If approved, it will be the third site for the pub group in Manchester.

They already operate the Piccadilly Tap, that two-storey beer bar on Piccadilly Approach with a heated rooftop space and outdoor patio.

The team are also responsible for the more recently-opened Victoria Tap, which took over the former bin store at Manchester Victoria.

That particular pub has a heated beer garden constructed just inches away from where the trams tootle past and has a departures board where time is measured by pints (got 10 mins til your train leaves? That’s one pint, sir!)

As for the Oxford Road Tap, a new account on X appeared a few weeks ago that appears to confirm the imminent arrival of a new pub.

The Oxford Road Tap have applied to have opening hours through to half-past-midnight Sunday to Thursday, and until 1.30am on Fridays and Saturdays.

They teased a mocked-up photo of posters outside the station with the new pub logo, plus a slogan of ‘Great beer is just a few steps away…’

They later shared ‘Triple threat incoming’ with all three pub brands lined up as a deck of cards.

Very exciting times ahead.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

Eats

Northern Quarter favourite Pie and Ale has sadly closed down

Danny Jones Danny Jones Pie and Ale Manchester closed down

Beloved Northern Quarter eatery and pub Pie and Ale has sadly and quietly closed its doors this week in yet another gutting bit of news for the Manc hospitality sector.

Known for its legendary homemade pies, great selections of ales, craft beers and lagers, not to mention a great little pub when it comes to watching live sport, it’s long been considered an NQ institution.

Unfortunately, however, as confirmed by a sign posted in the window, Pie and Ale has now closed for business after more than a decade.

Safe to say, we’re absolutely gutted, as we’re sure everyone else is.

Credit: The Manc Eats

While no official announcement has been made on their social media as yet, which will no doubt receive love and sadness from its loyal following, the sign in the window simply reads: “Pie and Ale has unfortunately ceased trading. Apologies for any inconvenience.”

The local favourite which was always hailed for being great value for money – celebrated especially for its popular pie and a pint for under a tenner deal – also served up great nibbles and light bites as well as dessert specials.

Although the Lever Street spot previously shut down for a short spell back in 2018 due to what they labelled as “unforeseen circumstances” before reopening just two months later, this latest update looks pretty definitive.

Sister-site Bakerie also ceased trading back in April 2019, with husband and wife founders, Alyson Doocey and David Cook, admitting that all independents had been “feeling the squeeze”.

Read more:

While we have few other details at this stage, it does look like Pie and Ale has indeed closed down for the foreseeable future.

A mainstay on our list of the best pies in Manchester since day dot and just the latest in the list of losses in 2024 so far, they will be sorely missed.

We sincerely hope this is like last time and will keep our fingers crossed that we see the pie pros and expert pourers back in business at some point.

RIP to an NQ icon.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group

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